Jacob Fickle charged after crashing into house, killing man

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (KSDK) - The Madison County State's Attorney's Office charged a 24-year-old Godfrey man for allegedly crashing a vehicle into a home, resulting in the death of somebody inside that home.

According to Captain T. Mike Dixon, chief of detectives for the Madison County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to the 200 block of Mercury Drive on January 13 just after 10:40 p.m. As deputies arrived at the scene, dispatchers were receiving calls about a vehicle crashing into a home in the 100 block of Saturn Drive. The two streets are in the same neighborhood.

Dixon said deputies learned a disturbance at the first residence involving family members led to the accident on Saturn Drive. The suspect, identified as Jacob Fickle, allegedly started the disturbance and took a family member's car keys. He drove off but crashed into the home on Saturn. Fickle then ran off on foot but was apprehended around 11:25 p.m. in the parking lot of Beer Barrel Pub in the 7200 block of Montclaire Avenue.

A 73-year-old man inside the home on Saturn Drive, identified as Marlin Bushnell, was pronounced dead at the scene from injuries sustained when the car crashed in the home.

Jacob Fickle was charged with leaving the scene of a traffic accident resulting in a fatality, as well as two misdemeanor charges of domestic battery in connection with the original disturbance. Police also cited Fickle for driving with a revoked license and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.